Liquid carbonator



I Dec. 18, 1934. s, L WILLIAMS 1,984,617

LIQUID CARBONATOR Filed Jan. 4, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTDR TTEIFZNEY,

Dec. 18, 1934. s. L. WILLIAMS 1,984,617

LIQUID CARBONATOR Filed Jan. 4, 1953 2 snets-sheet 2 3 5- 5 INVENTDR BY W/M RTTCIRNEY Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,984,617 LIQUID CARBONATOR Stephen L. Williams, Bridgeport, Ohio Application January 4, 1933, Serial No. 650,102

12 Claims. (01. 261123) This invention relates to water carbonating apvided in order that the pressure may be known. paratus, and more particularly to an apparatus A check valve is also located in the water line for mixing carbonic acid gas with a liquid, as and is designed to keep the carbonic acid gas from water. flowing into the water supply pipe 1, the pres- 5 It is common practice to manufacture this carence of said. check valve 5 being rendered neces- 5 bonated water by mixing the carbonic acid gas, sary by reason of thefact that in the successful also known chemically as carbon dioxide, with a operation of the carbonator the pressure of the liquid, as water, a quantity of the gas being forced carbonic acid gas is maintained" at a slightly into the liquid by pressure, thus imparting to it higher level than is the pressure of the water.

an agreeable taste and a certain amount of The end of the water line 1 has attached 10 dietetic qualities. The quality of the carbonated thereto, as by means of a coupling 6, a T-coupling water depends entirely upon the thoroughness 7. Into the lower opening 'of said T-coupling with which the carbonic acid gas is mixed with 7 is received in threaded relation one end of the water, a good quality of carbonated water bea nipple-like member 8, the same being enlarged l5 ing highly effervescent by reason of the interintermediate its opposite threadedendsandpre- 5 mixture of the carbonic acid gas with the water. senting squared surfaces for facilitating recep- It is, therefore, the primary object of my intion of a wrench. The opposite, or lower, threadvention to provide an apparatus for thoroughly ed end of the nipple-like member 8 is suitably mixing carbonic acid gas with a liquid, resulting connected, as by means of the union 9, to a 0 in the production of carbonated water having a pipe or tubing 10 which leads to the tank or high effervescence characteristic which will be reservoir (not shown) containing the carbonic maintained for a long period of time when exacid gas under pressure. posed tothe atmosphere. As shown at 11 in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the

Another object is to provide an apparatus of upper end of the nipple 8 is recessed and the the character mentioned wherein means are proside wall defining said recess is provided with 25 vided for producing carbonated water as it is bescrew threads, adapting it for the reception of ing used, as at a soda fountain where it is used the lower threaded end of a hollow spray nozzle for making sodas and soft drinks. 12, which latter is closed at its upper end and With theseand other objects in view, the inhas a plurality of ports 13 extending through vention resides in the features ofconstruction, the vertical side wall of the nozzle outwardly 30 arrangement of parts, and. combination of elefrom the hollow thereof. Housed within the ments, which will hereinafter be fully explained, hollow of said nozzle at a point below the ports reference being had to the accompanying draw- 13, as by means of screw threads, is a valve 14. ings, in whichby means of which is controlled the exhaust of Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus, carbonic acid gas from the nozzle. The valve 35 the aerating chamber being shown in vertical stem 15 depends downwardly from the valve cassection; ing and is normally maintained in its downward,

Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the agitator or closed, position by means of a small complates; pression spring 16. It will thus be noted that Figure 3 is a section taken on line 33, of the valve 14 is maintained in its closed position 40 Fig. 2; in such a manner that no agency or force can Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the 'diaopen it fromabove, or from without the nozzle, phragms; the valve stem 15 being moved upward to its Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5, of Fig. op n p i against h n i n of h p n 4; and; 16 solely by pressure exerted by the carbonic acid 45 Figure 6 is a detailed view in vertical secgas in its endeavor to escape from the tank, as tion of the gas pressure valve, spray nozzle and will hereinafter be fully explained. associated fittings. The nozzle 12, and the thereby housed valve Referring to said drawings, the reference nuoccupies a position in the Vertical avenue meral 1 designates a pipe through which water of the T-coupling 7 adjacent the horizontal water 50 is supplied from the usual city water system. inlet av u 7 t as eXhallSl? ports 13 py- A strainer 2 is located in the pipe line 1, as is ing a position above the latter. It will also be also a regulating valve 3 by means of which the noted that the diameter of the nozzle 12 is less pressure of the water may be either increased than the diameter of the vertically extending or d a s d s ed, a g uge b ng proavenue in which it is received so that the nozzle 55 entire; thickness of said plate. concentric channel or groove 26 is located in the is entirely surrounded by water as it enters the last mentioned avenue.

Threadedly connected to the upper opening of the T-coupling 7 is the aerator chamber, said aerator being composed of a base plate 1'7, a top plate 18, a plurality of agitator or aerator plates 19, and a plurality of diaphragms 20, one each of the latter being interposed between each of the elements 17, 18 and 19. The assembled parts mentioned areheld in rigid fixed position by meansof vertically extendingibolts 21, each of said agitator plates 19 having a series of apertures 22 for the reception of said bolts, while each of the diaphragms have similar apertures 23 designed for a like purpose.

For purposes of description andacleaiwunderstanding of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, it may here be stated that the inner surfaces of the base plate 1 7Wand top plate 18, and the opposite faces of the agitator ,plates. are constructed identical with. eachiother and have a similar appearancein that each is providedwith similarnbafiles and each has the concentric-channel, which willpresently be explained. Otherwise expressed, Fig. 2 of thedrawingsmight jaccurately serve "as-a top plan view of the base plate;1'7; a-;bottom.pl an view of the top; plate 18, or as a plan view of either'the bottom facepr topface of one of the agitator or aerator plates 19.

,I'he uppenor inner, surface of the base plate ,17 isprovided with a series of integral upraised ribs or bafiies 24 resulting'in. a tortuous passage- A vertically excenter of said plate and extends throughoutthe plateadjacent the periphery. As indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2 of thedrawings the central orifice 25 serves as the point of, commencement of the tortuous passageway which passageway terminates with its opening into the concentric channel 26. 1

Superimposed upon the hereinbefore described inner surface of the baseplate is one ofthe diaphragms, 20, said diaphragms being; made of slight thickness,.as from thin sheet aluminum, and havingtwo sets orseries of minute perforationsZ'i arranged in circular formation. Said perforations are so positioned in thediaphragm that they register with the channel 26 of theface plate below.

Mounted upontheupper face of the lowermost diaphragm is an agitator plate '19. As hereinbeforestated, the opposite faces of each agitator have 1 an identical construction -to that :of the inner surface of the base plate 17, thesarne beinglprovided withribs 24, orifice 25 andconcentricrchannel 26. An-integral web 28, shown in Fig. 3, separates the opposite faces ofsaidagitator.

The remainder of the aerating device is'composed orbuiltnp of agitator plates 19 and diaphragms 20, alternating one withthe other, or interposinga diaphragm between the upper face of an agitator .-and the lower face of the next above agitator. This construction is continued until a sufficient number of, such elements have been used at which time the top plate is placed in permanent position upon the uppermost diaphragm.

.The top plate 18 has an integral upwardly projecting teat 18* which has a continuation of the orifice 25 through the diametrical center Additionally, a

thereof. This teat 18 is connected, as by means of a union 29, to a length of pipe or tubing 30 leading to the faucet 31 at the soda fountain.

In practice, upon opening of the faucet 31 at the soda fountain to draw carbonated water for the mixing of a drink the pressure held inactive or inert in the aerating chamber is released. Such a release of this pressure induces the carbonic acid gas and water to rush in under pressure to replace the liquid being withdrawn. Upon release of the pressure above"the- :valve 14, said valve is moved to its open position by the pressure of the gas in its attempt to escape from .theconfines of its tank or reservoir, permitting the gas to impregnate the water to a limited extent as thelatter enters the T-coupling '7 from the supply pipe 1, the T-coup1ing serving as a preliminary mixing chamber.

Whenin the T-coupling, the carbonic acid gas is present in the water in the form of comparatively-large bubbles and practically none of the gas has'been dissolved into the water. These ,gasbubbles must be broken up into bubbles-of considerably smaller size in order to secure a thorough intermixture of the gas and watercarbon 'dioxidebeing soluble in water.

From the T-couplingi'l, the preliminarily mixed 'liquid -is forced upward by the pressure through :the orifice 25 whereit is stopped in its upward travel by coming in contact with the lowermost diaphragm 20. Obviously, thesole avenue open fortravel of the gas is along the tortuous passageway defined bythe bafiles 24 and, as is manifest, the gas and water will be more thoroughly mixed by agitation asit speedilytravels along through .themaze of'baiiles. Eventually, the mixture is conducted to the concentric channel 26 and from this point the mixture is forced by'the pressure through theminute perforations 27 of thelowermost diaphragm-20,.which perforations, as above :mentioned, are in overlying register with the aforesaid channel. 3 In being forced through said perforations, the gas bubbles present in the liquid "areibrokenup into smaller bubbles, resulting in more of the gasbeing dissolved in the water..

:Upon its exitthroughthe perforations of the diaphragm, the mixture is received within the concentric channel 26.01? the under face of the lowermost agitator plate 19. From said channel the mixture is forced from said channel inwardly alongthe maze of bafiies until it reaches the orifice 25, at which time it travels upward through said orifice, as indicated by the arrows in Fig.1, strikes the next above diaphragm 20 andthence enters the upper face of the agitator plate 19 whence it travels outwardly fromthe center between the web 28 and diaphragm 20 along the tortuous-passageway toward the concentric channel 26 and thence through the perforations27 of the diaphragm above whereit enters the channel 26 of the next above agitator plate. This operation is continued until the mixture reaches the central orifice 25 in the teat 18 of the top plate .1 8, whence the'thoroughly intermixed carbonated water is conducted to the faucet of the soda fountain through the pipe 30.

Infurther, explanation as to the course of travel of the mixture through the tortuous passageways. of the agitator plates 19, it may be stated that the mixture travels from the peripheral channel 26 inwardly toward the centrally located orifice 25 on its lower face, and on its upper face the mixture travelsfrom the diametrical center outwardly toward the periphery where itenters the channel .26. During its inward and outward CPA travel, the liquid is confined between a diaphragm 20 and a web 28 of an agitator plate 19.

Furthermore, it will thus be seen that the mixing is effected'by causing the gas and liquid to have a plurality of paths of travel, each of which paths effects movement of the liquid and gas from the center of the aerator and outwardly thereof toward the periphery and then back to the center, each path traversing substantially the entire area of the aerator. Otherwise expressed, each path extends throughout the entire extent of the aerator, both circumferentially and radially, and, as here shown, is divided into four segments so that the mixture passes back and forth in one segment and then to the next where its back and forth travel is repeated until all of the segments have been traversed.

From the above description it will be seen that the introduced carbonic acid gas is broken up into smaller particles as it is forced through each successive series of perforations in the diaphragms, which action has a decided tendency to render the gas more readily soluble with the water. After passing through each set of perforations, as aforesaid, the liquid is violently agitated to effect a thorough mixing of the two agents, resulting in the production of carbonated water having a high degree of effervescence.

It is thought that the construction and function of the various elements will readily be understood from the foregoing description. While I have described the invention more or less in detail, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to details of construction and arrangement of parts except as may be required by a fair interpretation of the terms of the appended claims.

It will also be understood that the device may be utilized for intermixing other agents apart from carbonic acid gas and water.

What is claimed is:

1. In a liquid carbonator, an aerator composed of spaced top, bottom and intermediate plates, each of said plates having central orifices which register with one another, the inner faces of the top and bottom plates and both faces of the intermediate plates being formed with an outer concentric channel and with a tortuous channel, each of which latter at one end leads from the central orifice and extends throughout substantially the area of the plate within the confines of the concentric channel and has its other end extending into the concentric channel, diaphragms interposed between the confronting faces of adjacent plates whereby the plates and diaphragms are alternately related, said diaphragms each having a series of apertures which register with and establish communication between adjacent confronting concentric channels of adjacent plates, means to introduce carbonic acid gas and a liquid into the central orifice of the lower plate, and means to convey the carbonated liquid from the central orifice of the top plate.

2. An aerator including a body having an inlet and an outlet, and means between the inlet and outlet having passages for conducting carbonic acid gas and a liquid in streams through a path having ends which terminate, respectively, at substantially the center and periphery of the body, said path extending radially and circumferential- 1y back and forth throughout a segment of the body and thence into the next segment and then throughout the next adjacent segment whereby the path covers the entire area of the body.

3. In a device of the character described, an aerator composed of spaced top, bottom and intermediate plates, each of said plates having an alined central orifice, the inner faces of the top and bottom plates and the opposite faces of the intermediate plates being formed with an outer concentric channel, and being further formed with a passageway having one end thereof opening into the orifice and its opposite end terminating with its meeting said concentric channel, diaphragms interposed between the confronting faces of adjacent plates, means provided in said diaphragms for establishing communication between the channels of adjacent plates, means to introduce a preliminarily mixed gas and a liquid into the central orifice of the lower plate, and means to convey the intermixed gas and liquid from the central orifice of the top plate.

i. In a liquid carbonator, an aerator composed of spaced top, bottom, and intermediate plates, each of which have substantially central registering orifices, the inner faces of the top and bottom plates and both faces of the intermediate plates beingfcrmed with an outer channel and with a tortuous channel each of which latter at one end lead from the central orifice to the outer channel, diaphragins interposed between the confronting faces of the adjacent plates whereby the plates and diaphragms are alternately related, said diaphragms extending across the central orifices, the diaphragms having apertures which establish communication between adjacent confronting outer channels of adjacent plates, means to introduce carbonic acid gas and liquid into the central orifice of the lower plate and means to convey the carbonated liquid from the central orifice of the top plate.

5. A carbonator including a body having an inlet and an outlet, and members between the inlet and outlet and formed with passageways on their side faces, the passageways having parts which extend radially and circumferentially to divide the members into segmental portions, said passageways further having tortuous parts connecting the radial parts whereby the carbonic acid gas and liquid are caused to travel circumferentially back and forth throughout each segment and then radially into the next segment, and means to conduct the mixture from the last segment to the outlet.

6. A carbonator having a body formed with an inlet and an outlet, alternating plates and diaphragms arranged between the inlet and outlet, the plates having tortuous passageways in their side faces confronting the respective diaphragms and both the plates and diaphragms having pas sages for connecting adjacent passageways, means to connect the passageway adjacent the inlet thereto and means to connect the passageway adjacent the outlet thereto.

7. A carbonator including a body having an inlet and an outlet, and plate-like members be.- tween the inlet and outlet which are grooved to form tortuous passageways both on their upper and lower sides means extending across the grooves to confine the carbonic acid gas and liquid therein and having ports which effect communication between the grooves of adjacent plates and each of said plates having an orifice which effects communication between the grooves on opposite sides thereof, whereby the carbonic acid gas and liquid is caused to travel through the passageway in streams on one side of a member inwardly toward the center thereof and in the passageway on its opposite side to travel from the center outwardly thereof, means to connect the passageway adjacent the inlet thereto and meansto connect the passageway adjacent the outlet thereto.

8. A carbonator having a body including an inlet and an outlet, and means between the inlet and outlet formed with passageways which extend radially and circumferentially throughout segments of said means to conduct the mixture in streams, means to conduct the passageways to the inlet and means to connect the passageways to the outlet.

- 9. A carbonator having a body formed of alternating plates and diaphragms the outermost plates having an inlet and an outlet respectively and each of the plates having orifices at substantially their centers, the diaphragms extending across the said orifices, and passageways formed on the side faces of the plates which passageways communicate with the central orifices, the passageways in the outermost plates communicating with the inlet and outlet respectively and the diaphragms being formed with openings for efiecting communication between adjacent passageways at the outer ends of the latter whereby the fluid is caused to traverse paths back and forth on opposite sides of the diaphragms from the inlet to the outlet.

10. A carbonator including a body having an inlet and an outlet, and means between the inlet and the outlet having passageways for conducting carbonic acid gas and .a liquid in streams which terminate respectively at substantially the center and periphery of the body, the passageways being divided into segments and extending both radially and circumferentially of the body, and means to connect the passageways adjacent the inlet and outlet thereto.

11. A carbonator including a body having an inlet and an outlet, a pair of disk-like members in the body having groove-like passages on their confronting faces, the passages being divided into connected segments and extending back and forth circumferentially of each segment and thence radially into the next segment whereby to cause the mixture to travel throughout the entire area of the members, means between the confronting faces of the members and forming parts of the passages, means whereby to connect the passages so that the mixture will flow from the passages of one member to the passages of the other, and means to conduct the passages of one member to the inlet and to connect the passages of the other member to the outlet.

12. In a liquid carbonator, a body having spaced ends one formed with an inlet and the other with an outlet, alternating plates and diaphragms in the space between the ends, the plates having central openings and having'spacing elements which engage and space the diaphragms from the adjacent plates, and the diaphragms each having a series of openings adjacent their peripheries and having their central portions extending over the central openings of the plates, said iates having marginal flanges which engage the marginal portions of the diaphragms, and the spacing elements being disposed between the flanges and the central openings of the plates whereby to hold the diaphragms against buckling.

STEPHEN L. WILLIAMS. 

